Book-holder.



Patented Aug. 22,1899. A. J. REID.

BOOK HOLDER.

(Applicazkn filed June 16. 1899.\

1N0 Model.)

n4: uomus vnzns ca. movou'rna, wpsnma'ron a c UNITED STATES- ALFREDJESSE REID, OF FRIENDSHIP, GEORGIA.

BOOK-HOLDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 631,512, dated August22, 1899.

Application filed June 16, 1899.

useful Improvements in Book-Holders; and v I do declare the following tobe a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as willenable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and usethe same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to theletters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of thisspecification.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in book-holders,and especially to an adjustable holder or rack which is designedespecially for use in holding books at a convenient angle to a personlying either in a recumbent or in an upright position.

More specifically the present invention consists of a book-holder oradjustable rack having a board which has a slot formed on the arc of acircle, said rack being provided with slotted standards, through whichslots pins or bolts carried by the board are passed and held in a fixedposition by means-of a thumbscrew, while suitable brace-rods areconnected to the upper ends of said standards, their lower ends beingadapted to catch into the clothing of the bed.

Another feature consists in the book-rack, which is adjustably held tothe board, being capable of adjustment, and held at different locationsalong the board, having a curved slot therein, said book-rack alsocapable of a lateral adjustment to hold the book at difierent angles toa horizontal plane.

To these ends and to such others as theinvention may pertain the sameconsists in the novel construction, combination, and adaptation ofparts, as will be hereinafter more fully described and then specificallydefined in the appended claims.

My invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which,with the letters of reference marked thereon, form part of thisapplication, and in which- Figure l is aperspective view of mybookholder shown as adjusted for use.

is a vertical cross-section through the bookholder. Fig. 3 is anenlarged detail view of Fig. 2

Serial No. 720,835. (No model.)

the book-holding rack. Fig. 4 is a sectional view through the hingedportions of the bookholding rack; and Fig. 5 is a detail in perspective,showing the mannerof supporting .the back of the rack.

Reference now being had to the details of the drawings by letter, Adesignates a board which has an elongated curved slot A, and said boardis preferably cut away on its lower edge, so as to allow the board to beadjusted over the body of. a person who is lying in bed. Near each endof said board are mounted pins or bolts B, which extend beyond one faceof said board, and the upper of said projecting bolts or pins on eachend are threaded and designed to be passed through the elongated slot 0in the standards 0, while the lower of said pins on each end are adaptedto bearagainst the edge of the standards. The lower ends of each of saidstandards are pointed, so as to prevent the holder slipping when it isadjusted for use. In order to hold the board, which is mounted onstandards, at any desired angle to the .top of the bed, I provide thebraces D, which have eyes at their upper ends, which are connected tothe staples D, carried at the upper ends of said standards. The portionsof said braces adjacent to their free ends are bent in S shape,withtheir ends terminating in points designed to' engage in the clothing ofthe bed in order to hold the board sup porting the book-raok at anydesired angle.

Mounted on the rear face of each of said standards is a hook E, in whichthe upper ends of the braces are designed to be held from swinging outbeyond the standards. Mounted on the said board is the book-rack formedof the two sections F and G, which are hinged together, and said portionF car-- ries a bolt F, the shank of which passes through the elongatedcurved slot in said board A and is held at an adjusted position by meansof a thumb-screw f, which is screwed onto the threads of said bolt F.The section G of the rack carries the book-cover and leaf-engaging wirebails H, which serve to hold a book open, and the upright wires K, whichhold the book open, while near each end of said section are the arms M,which may be swung over the faces of the leaves and hold the same backas may be desired. In order to hold the section G at different angles tothe section F, I secure a plate N to the end of the section F, saidplate having a slot, through which passes a threaded pin N, carried atthe end of the section G, and on said threaded pin is mounted anadjusting thumbscrew and washer, whereby as the said section G isbrought to the desired angle the thumb-screw may be tightened and thebookholder held in the position desired. If it is desired to shift thesections F and G forming the book-rack to one end or the other of thecurved slot in the board A in order to adapt the rack in the properposition to hold a book to be read conveniently lying on one side or theother, it will be noted that the rack may be readily pushed from one endof the board to the other and held in an adjusted position.

If it is desired to use my improved book holder in connection with achair or table, or if it is desired to use it in connection with a bedand dispense with the standards with spur ends and the pointed braces, Imay dispense with said standards and braces and employ theclamping-block It, which is slotted and has an adjustable plate R, whichis actuated by means of a thumb-screw S, passing through one of the armsof the clampingblock, whereby said plate maybe forced forward againstthe edge of the bedstead or whatever article to which the block isclamped. The upper end of said block is apertured, as at r, to receivethe lower end of the standard T, which has an elongated slot T toreceive one of the threaded bolts or pins carried at the end of theboard A.

From the foregoing description, when taken in connection withthedrawings, the utility of my invention and its manner of adjustment willbe readily understood.

Vhat I claim to be new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A book -holder, comprising a slotted board, an adjustable rackmounted on said board and standards on which the ends of said board areadjustably held, and braces connected to said standards, as set forth.

2. A book-holder, comprising aboard hav-' ing an elongated curved slottherein, a bookrack having a bolt passing through said slot, and held inan adjusted position by means of a thumb-screw, slotted standards andthreaded bolts, one at each end of said board,which bolts are adapted tobe passed through the elongated slots in said standards and wingnutsmounted on the ends of said bolts and adapted to hold the board in anadjusted position with reference to said standards, as set forth.

3. A book-holder, comprising a board having its under edge cut away andslotted as shown, the standards having elongated slots therein, threadedbolts carried by the board and passing through said slots, the pins orbolts carried by the board, and designed to engage in the slots of saidstandards,the wingnuts mounted on the threaded bolts, thelower ends ofthe standards having spurs, and the brace-rod connected to the upperends of the said standards, the loops or hooks in which the upperportions of the braces are held, the free ends of said braces beingpointed, and the book-rack adj ustably held on said board, as set forth.

4. A book-holder, comprising in combination with the board, slotted asdescribed,with standards for supporting the same, a bookrack made up ofsections hinged together, one of said sections having a bolt, the shankof which passes through the slot in said board, and a wing-nut forholding said section in a fixed relation at different locations on saidboard one of the sections of the book-rack having bail-shaped membersand wires for holding the cover and the leaves open, as set forth.

5. The combination with the board slotted as described and standards forsupporting the same, the book-rack made up of two sections hingedtogether, one of which is adjustably held to the board, the otherhavingthe bookcover and leaf-engaging members, the plate having a curved slotand secured to the section which is bolted to the board, a threaded boltcarried by the swinging section of the book-rack, and passing through acurved slot in said plate, the wing-nut carried on said bolt, and theswinging arms mounted on the hinged section adapted to hold the leavesopen, as shown and described.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ALFRED J REID.

Witnesses:

A. O. SPEER, J OE. CHAMBLESS.

